The Wizards of Waverly Place revival sounds like it's trying to cash in on one of the ultimate examples of 2000s kids nostalgia, but Wizards Beyond Waverly Place is a hilarious, heartrending, and magical watch. The now-adult Justin Russo (David Henrie), having been fired as the heaster of WizTech, is living in the mortal world with his wife and two sons, who are unaware of his wizard heritage. That is, until his sister Alex (Selena Gomez) turns up with spunky 12-year-old wizard Billie (Janice LeAnn Brown), with the request that Justin take her in and train her.

Wizards Beyond Waverly Place Boasts A Wickedly Funny Cast That Mirrors The Original

Kicking things off is the fantastic guest appearance by Gomez, who steps right back into the role of Alex, portraying her beloved sarcastic personality as well as the ways she has matured in the intervening years. Henrie is basically playing the same character as before and still has a great dynamic with Gomez. However, it is the new cast that impressively manages to all hold their own and endear themselves in a show that is banking on fondness for their predecessors.

The family dynamic comes across as a loving homage to Wizards of Waverly Place, rather than Disney recasting everyone and trying to pick up where they left off.

The family structure is obviously set up to mirror the original, with loosely similar characterizations: rebellious Billie, nerdy older brother Roman (Alkaio Thiele), goofy younger brother Milo (Max Matenko), tough yet nurturing mom Giada (Mimi Gianopulos), sweet-as-pie best friend Winter (Taylor Core), and Justin as the uptight dad trying to hold it all together. Yet they avoid feeling like carbon copies, all still original characters with their own trials and tribulations. The family dynamic comes across as a loving homage to Wizards of Waverly Place, rather than Disney recasting everyone and trying to pick up where they left off.

Perhaps most impressively, the cast is wildly funny, especially the child actors, who pull off some brilliantly exaggerated line delivery. Gomez and Henrie are a wonderful blast from the past, while Gianopulos is a solid addition. Ultimately, though, it's Brown, Thiele, Matenko, and Core who will make the Disney show successful. The comedic scenarios are slightly cloying, deriving a lot of conflict from a lack of common sense, but the cast makes it fun all the same.

Wizards Beyond Waverly Place Sets Up Some More Serious Emotional Throughlines

Right away, Wizards Beyond Waverly Place establishes that there are going to be some darker storylines, which are introduced in the early episodes and hint at a culmination later on. The narrative skips over what Justin told Giada as to why they were taking Billie in and Alex's request — which isn't just for Justin to teach Billie, but to foster her, which is a much bigger commitment. Despite the moderate plot holes, the show is already exhibiting themes of adoptive families and self-worth.

I chalked up these weird oversights to a byproduct of this kind of show — they have to streamline it to the basic premise of Billie living with them and the whole family, as well as Winter, knowing about magic with minimal consequences. However, there are still some poignant points made in the first episodes about Justin's feelings of failure and why he kept this a secret from his family for so long, as well as Billie being heavily implied to be an orphan with a proven fear of abandonment from being kicked out of multiple schools and homes.

Wizards Beyond Waverly Place Balances Nostalgia & New Magic For Classic Disney Channel Fans

Wizards Beyond Waverly Place knows that it has to have some Easter Eggs for old-school fans, but doesn't go overboard. The show opens with a remix of the old theme song, there are references to WizTech and Max (Jake T. Austin) having since turned the Waverly Place sandwich shop into a multi-billion-dollar franchise, and a dazzling return to the family lair. But with the characters being distorted versions of their Wizards of Waverly Place counterparts and the new actors fostering such an on-screen presence, Wizards Beyond Waverly Place tells its own new, enchanting, and highly enjoyable story.

For those who miss this particular brand of entertainment, Wizards Beyond Waverly Place is a perfect welcome home.

ittedly, the Disney Channel shows all operate on a certain suspension of disbelief that is easily critiqued by the more cynical-minded, demanding we accept glaring plot holes and unrealistic behavior. Personally, I thought it was pretty awful for Justin to have lied to Giada for so long, and she gets on board with the whole thing shockingly fast. However, most Disney Channel shows flourished and established a fervent, long-lasting fanbase anyway — so for those who miss this particular brand of entertainment, Wizards Beyond Waverly Place is a perfect welcome home.

The first two episodes of Wizards Beyond Waverly Place premiere on Wednesday, October 29 on Disney Channel, and will stream the next day on Disney+. The series consists of ten episodes, with two episodes released weekly.